Big fireball causes fear as it spread across the sky up to DC and NYC at 36,000mph causing loud explosion.

A massive fireball, traveling at an astonishing 36,000 miles per hour, graced the skies over Washington DC and New York City, setting off widespread alarm. This celestial spectacle, most likely a meteor or a space rock, captivated onlookers as it streaked across the heavens, sparking a frenzy of observations and recordings.

Startling Appearance Reports of the fireball began to flood in at 9:30 pm on a Sunday evening when it first made its dazzling appearance. This extraordinary phenomenon was visible as far south as Richmond, Virginia, and as far north as New York City. The event prompted a flurry of online posts featuring numerous photographs and videos capturing the breathtaking sight.

Unprecedented Brilliance “What was amazing is how bright it was,” exclaimed one observer on Sunday evening. Experts suggest that this celestial spectacle was most likely a meteor, which traversed the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States. According to NASA Meteor Watch’s Facebook page, the fireball was initially detected about 50 miles above Forest Hill, Maryland, hurtling through the atmosphere at a staggering 36,000 miles per hour.

Spectacular Demise Subsequently, the fireball descended into Pennsylvania, where it met its dramatic end. At an altitude of 22 miles above Gnatstown in Pennsylvania, the celestial intruder disintegrated. During this fiery descent, it radiated a brightness equivalent to a quarter moon and covered a distance of just over 55 miles through the Earth’s atmosphere.

Witness Accounts The post on NASA Meteor Watch’s Facebook page teemed with accounts from individuals who had been fortunate enough to witness this captivating event. These eyewitnesses shared their unique experiences, ranging from those who saw it quietly traverse the sky to those who reported hearing loud noises, including a resounding boom as it concluded its fiery journey.

The Commonality of Celestial Events The sighting of this fireball across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions occurred shortly after a similar celestial display in Turkey. In Turkey, residents were treated to a stunning spectacle as a brilliant light streaked across the sky. Such occurrences are relatively common, as the American Meteor Society notes that several thousand meteors of fireball magnitude enter Earth’s atmosphere each day. These celestial events are often unnoticed, especially when they transpire at night and are witnessed by fewer people.